A Medication combo has been part of my recovery from day one of my diagnosis. Medications can be a very slippery slope. The best medications are expensive and if you don’t have insurance you may have to rely on Medicaid or other state programs; Or pay for medications out of your pocket. Even with insurance it can be hard to pay for meds.
Let’s say you have a copay of $25.00. Most times to treat our mental illness we’re prescribed two, three, or more as a Medication Combo (multiple prescriptions). YES! You might have 4 meds; one to lift you up; one to bring you down; one to keep you stable and one to screw everything again. On top of this, you’ll have to make payments for each med or a co-pay for 2 to 4 meds as per the combo; CA-Ching!
Ya! that adds up and can really become a financial burden quickly. Especially if depression has you so depressed you can’t go into work for 3 weeks or more every month… You don’t get a depression leave of absence.
After the money issues are taken care of…we have to deal with the validity of taking medications. To be medicated or not to be medicated, what does that really mean? Do Medications really work FOR ME? What meds are helping ME? What meds are not working FOR ME? Is The Hunt for the right medication Worth The Trouble? Do the side-effects outweigh the benefits FOR ME? If you’re taking a medication for depression THAT has a harsh side-effect of suicidal ideation and deeper depression, well then it’s safe to say: that med might need to be tweaked or removed from your combo.
Finding the right medication combo does not happen overnight…but it can happen, for me, my doctor and therapist got the basic combo down, Wellbutrin, 
and two others. Within three to six month I had a semi-balanced combo. Then made “fine tuning” to my meds as I as…we went along. At times, the combo seemed to work and at other times, it was like starting all over again.
Taking medication is a personal matter. I personally know I need the meds to function. I have seen what can happen when I am not medicated, the problems and pain it causes. So, for me, it is a no brainer… I know the risks, and I don’t rely on medication alone in my wellness plan. I take supplements and have changed my diet and look at my overall health…meds play “a” part of my wellness. Mind and Body.
Medication is just a small part of my recovery, they are not the ONLY part. Medications are not a magical pill to recovery. No for me it just a way to quiet the storm. I wish I did not have to take so many, but someday maybe that will change.
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